Once upon a time I was a cat person…

Cats were easier as a military family that moved every 1-3 years. We only had one dog, and shortly after getting Tip, we got orders to the Philippines. He was our first and last dog.

I admit I had a few dogs that didn’t last long at my house as a young adult. I had a big heart, but no experience with dogs, and that combined with shelter dogs didn’t prove to be a winning combo.

Another big factor is dogs frustrated me – they jumped on people, barked uncontrollable, and lunged out from retractable leashes. They were out of control!

All of these factors combined led me to staying content with my well behaved, indoor cats.

When I got married, my husband had a collie. She was a beautiful dog- but she was an alpha bitch, with a capital B! She didn’t help the dog situation at all. She passed away, and that’s all I have to say about old girl.

Two years into our marriage, we got Reese, a 5 year old chocolate lab. Perhaps the best dog ever! She was obedient, loving, house trained, smiley, and all around a pleasure. My heart began to soften towards dogs.

I eventually decided I wanted a dog I could exercise with. I wanted a smart dog, because a dumb canine would not do. I wanted a mid sized dog, so that the life expectancy was decent. I researched for several months, and finally settled on Australian Shepherd. I bought Mitzi from one of the top breeders in the country, and that was just luck on my part, finding such an outstanding breeder.

Since I knew nothing about dogs, I went to class with Mitzi right away. From puppy class through intermediate and CGC (Canine Good Citizen, through the AKC), we learned together. When she was old enough, she began to run with me. Walks and runs with Mitzi proved good for the health of both of us.

I had hopes of showing her in the ring, but after her blue ribbons as a pup, I couldn’t get the support locally to get the rest of the accolades I wanted for her. So she became solely my companion and best girl.

Mitzi has totally changed my world. I’m a dog person now. When I meet someone with a dog, I usually greet the dog first. I found out that it usually was bad dog parenting, not bad dogs, that led to behavior problems. I’ve even become a foster for a local rescue.

Mitzi loves her Daddy and the kids, but I am her PERSON. Everywhere I go, she is with me. She never lets me out of her sight. When I get up in the morning, she gets up, too, leading me through my routine.

I can’t imagine life without her.

I never knew I’d be a dog person someday!

(I still love my cat!)